Power Station

What happens when a nonprofit decides to make a shift and tackle its mission at a deeper level? That is the journey that Bread for the City, frontline service provider to Washington DC’s lowest-income residents started on 8 years ago. Since its founding in 1974, BFC has been the go-to resource for people in need of food, clothing, medical and legal assistance. It modeled how to provide high-quality services with, as BFC promises, “dignity, respect and justice.” The shift began in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin killing, which profoundly jarred the community, including BFC’s staff. That tragedy spurred a conversation about the deep-seated impacts of structural racism in Black and Brown communities. Chief Executive Officer, George Jones began to reconsider his race neutral approach to the work. He signed himself up, with staff and community members, for an ‘Undoing Racism’ workshop, which examined how racist policies created the conditions faced by those seeking their help. This transformative experience le

What makes an advocacy organization exceptional? It starts with a vision for tackling inequity that engages constituents in advocating for themselves. In the case of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, it is a dedication to social policy that ensures decent housing for our nation’s lowest-income renters. These are residents of public and subsidized housing - families with children, seniors, the disabled and low-wage workers - who are often one step away from homelessness and are actively engaged in the Coalition’s organizational infrastructure and advocacy campaigns. The Coalition achieves its mission through an integrated set of strategies: communications, organizing, and data-driven advocacy. As Sarah Saadian, VP of Public Policy, explains, the Coalition is laser focused on building congressional support for federal housing appropriations with residents engaged in the advocacy. The membership strategy is similarly intentional. Instead of the traditional trade association model, Coalition members incl

How is it possible for laws that determine the fate of Muslim Americans to be decided without them having a seat at the decision-making table? That is the power imbalance that motivated the launch of Muslim Advocates by Farhana Khera in 2005. Muslim Advocates works “in communities, the courts and in Congress”, to expose and address discriminatory public policies and corporate practices impacting the lives of our nation’s over 400 Muslim Americans. The challenges faced by Muslim Americans require more than legal and legislative solutions. Our news media needs to tell the stories of who Muslim Americans are and how their lives have been impacted by misguided policy actions. Those include Mayor Bloomberg’s surveillance of community members simply for being Muslim and President Trump’s recently expanded Muslim Travel Ban. As Scott Simpson, Muslim Advocates Director of Policy Advocacy, explains to Power Station, working in partnership with other civil rights champions is critical to raising the profile of Muslim A

PFLAG may not be the most high-profile LGBTQ+ organization, but it is the oldest, largest and the first, in 1973, to create a safe space for the parents, friends and families of LGBTQ+ youth. It was organized by Jeanne Manford, after seeing her son Morty, a young gay man, beaten at a demonstration covered on the nightly news. She became his advocate, joining him at a gay rights rally wearing a sign that read, Parents of Gays United in Support for Our Children. She was applauded by young people appreciative of her support. From this experience, PFLAG was founded and is now powered by 400 volunteer chapters across the country. Its pillars of support, education and advocacy describe these chapters: places to be heard, learn, and stand up for loved ones. Advocacy takes place in hearings on Capitol Hill and in state capitols, where hostile political environments are generating punitive legislation, often aimed at transgender youth. The work is challenging but executive director Brian Bond remains positive, he says

The most intentional nonprofits are designed to both help individuals in need and build community power. This is the case with NALEO-the National Association for Latino Elected Officials, founded in 1977 by Rep Edward Roybal, then one of just 5 Latinos elected to Congress. In 2020, NALEO supports 38 Latino congressional members and a bi-partisan bench of over 6,800 Latinos serving in municipal, state, and federal level positions. Consider the potential of a cohort of powerful leaders organized around the common aspirations of their communities. NALEO deploys its resources to meet 3 primary goals. First, it offers training that deepens the capacity of members to effectively serve their constituencies on topics ranging from emergency management and water conservation to census participation. Second, it provides direct services to community members, encouraging them to civically engage and become change makers themselves. Third, it advocates for public policies that promote citizenship, even in the face of anti-

Ron Hantz, a great friend of Power Station, and our first guest returns for Episode 100. Ron is back to talk about a current threat that has been largely obscured by the presidential impeachment hearing. At another congressional hearing, Comptroller of the Currency and Trump appointee, Joseph Otting, testified before the House Financial Services Committee, feeling the heat of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, as he attempted to rationalize dismantling the Community Reinvestment Act. Ron takes us back to an era when banks refused to serve African Americans and other people of color, leaving whole communities without access to credit and capital. The practice of redlining used maps drawn to exclude whole neighborhoods from banking services. And this practice became policy, leading to the rise of predatory lenders. It took organizing and engagement at the local and national levels to move the US Congress to enact the Community Reinvestment Act in 1977. The CRA, overseen by bank regulators, the FDIC and the OCC, requi

It took a century long struggle for American women to “win” the right to vote in 1920. And win does not accurately reflect a struggle in which women were jailed and beaten in pursuit of that right. This victory led suffragist Carrie Chapman Cott to establish the League of Women Voters (LWV), a non-partisan champion of voting rights. Now, LWV is convening national conversations about issues from the census to voting to the environment and immigration. And LWV is vigilant about local threats to voting access and rights. It works to prevent gerrymandering, the intentional dilution of political power by one party over another and by majorities over minorities. The LWV is making the structural changes needed to remain powerful and relevant into the future. It is retooling itself into a more inclusive and diverse organization and Alma Couverthie, the new National Organizing Director, is an important part of its evolution. A longtime community organizer, Alma is opening doors to new participants while honoring the c

This episode is a conversation about gentrification and displacement that goes deeper than the average media story. It starts with applying an historical context of colonialism to gentrification, in which powerful forces displaced whole communities with profound and lasting consequences to economic stability, cultural identity and access to homeland. This is the lens that the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) brings to their coalition building work with AAPI communities across the nation. Anjan Chaudhry, Director of Community Empowerment, talks to Power Station about the legacy of colonialism within AAPI communities and how it informed the shaping of a new and important resource, National CAPACD’s Our Neighborhoods Anti-Displacement Toolkit. The Toolkit is a resource that helps community groups to push back against municipalities and private developers whose plans would destroy Chinatowns and other established neighborhoods and displace families and business

We rely on access to high-speed internet to meet the demands of everyday life. We pay bills, apply for jobs, look up children’s school assignments, and get real-time updates on bus arrivals. But at least 20 million Americans live without digital access. They are our neighbors and family members from cities and rural regions who lack the infrastructure (physical wires) and/or the financial means to afford internet connectivity. How do we solve this opportunity gap? Power Station looks to Francella Ochillo, Executive Director of Next Century Cities, and a powerful advocate for digital equity, for answers. As Francella explains, NCC is a resource to a coalition of mayors from 200 cities and counties in 40 states that are building out broadband infrastructure and getting constituents connected. And NCC is at the forefront of a movement to promote a robust response in 2020, our nation’s first primarily digital census. So much is at stake, from federal resources to political representation, that NCC published a cen

In our first Power Station episode of 2020, we welcome celebrated advocate Marco Davis, eight months into his role as President & CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Marco shares his vision for deepening the impacts of CHCI’s programs, known for the powerful pipeline of talented Latino leaders they generate. He explains how it all began in 1976, when the first 5 members of Congress of Hispanic descent, came together to support each other and to grow their numbers. Now, 44 years later, the Caucus is comprised of 38 members and is growing. Its nonprofit arm, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, operates Fellowships and Internships that engage participants in the public policy process. As Marco explains, that knowledge is carried into their careers in public service, nonprofits and corporate America. We talk about what is at stake at a time when Latinos have been demonized and under siege. And Marco identifies a more benign form of bias, a profound lack of appreciation for who

Join me for an entirely different kind of Power Station episode. This is a look back, with the very talented audio engineer and producer Rob Ford, at why I created Power Station, how personal experience shaped my vision for nonprofit advocacy, the under-reported role of nonprofits in crafting policy solutions to seemingly intractable societal problems and how our guests are thriving in unimaginably challenging times. We talk through the defining characteristics shared by Power Station guests, including their lived experience with the communities they serve and ability to pivot when political circumstances require it. And we credit their influence on democratic candidates whose policy positions on issues ranging from climate change to housing are based in research, data and analysis generated by local and national nonprofits. I express my gratitude to friends and colleagues, including Luis Granados and John Holdsclaw, who have been advisors and supporters since I first thought of creating Power Station as a pl

So much is at stake in America in the year ahead. The 2020 presidential election and decennial census will be markers in history, a time for communities to stand up and be counted or a perilous step backward. For low-income, immigrant and communities of color, in particular, the stakes are tremendously high and civic engagement is an imperative. Latinos have suffered because of the President’s hateful rhetoric and policies, and the violence, including the massacre in El Paso, his leadership has inspired. It will require nonprofit organizations with deep ties to these communities, to mobilize them into action. This is the work that UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, and UnidosUS Action Fund, its sister nonprofit, which focuses on political action, are leading. Orson Aguilar, the new executive director of the Action Fund, is energized for the challenge. He and UnidosUS President & CEO Janice Murguia have formulated a plan based on extensive polling data. Contrary t

Jon Pratt builds community, influence and power every day. He leads the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, a trade association for organizations that provide services in the arts, education, affordable housing, health and the environment. Just as chambers of commerce represent the interests of the business community, MCN amplifies the voices of the nonprofit community. It is where members learn about legislation affecting their mission and tax status, new research from the field, and resources for building advocacy capacities. And their considerable collective power is making an impact. MCN members meet regularly with elected officials, identify unmet needs and recommend policy solutions to solve them. Now they are upping their game with Grant Adviser. This new initiative will resonate with anyone who has ever applied for a grant or reported to a funder on grant outcomes. Think of Grant Adviser as Yelp for philanthropy. Nonprofits provide anonymous feedback about foundations, from the application process to the

Diane Yentel leads the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, the nation’s most influential champion for ending housing poverty and homelessness in America. It is a respected presence on Capitol Hill and in state houses where legislators know that their reports and testimony are evidence-based and accurate. In recent years, NLIHC has stopped every effort rolled out by the Trump Administration and US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Secretary Carson to weaken housing policies and demonize low income renters. Given this context, Diane is alarmed but not entirely surprised by the president’s appointment of Robert Marbut to head the US Interagency Council on Homelessness. It coincides with the administration’s proposal to use empty barracks in Los Angeles to warehouse a growing homeless population. It creates both an opportunity to demean a democratic mayor and governor and to hurt people with no options other than to live on the streets. This new challenge does not overwhelm the National Low-Income

We value higher education but make it hard to access, particularly for low-income and people of color. Students may not have counselors to guide their search for colleges and scholarships. The cost of applications can be prohibitive. It takes a dedicated network of motivated adults to connect young people to opportunities and Sean Lanier is one of those dedicated people. Although he has retired from the military, he continues to serve his country. When his alma mater, Virginia Military Institute, reached out and asked him to help recruit African American students to the school, he embraced the challenge. But he discovered that his vision for how to create a pipeline of underserved students was broader. He now helps not only VMI but also other schools to recruit talented young people and founded a nonprofit to advance this mission. He travels to cities across the country, meets with students, their parents and community-based partners to demonstrate what is possible, from education in STEM and technology, as w

When Eddy Morales first moved back to Gresham, Oregon from Washington, DC, he did not plan to run for elected office. He expected to continue his business as a political campaign adviser and reconnect with family and community. Years in DC working with Voto Latino and Democracy Alliance had sharpened his considerable talents as a national policy advocate, and he wanted to engage civically at the local level. But when he watched the 2016 election returns with his nieces and nephews, intending to celebrate the election of the nation’s first women president, his heart sank. The election of Donald trump as president and the implications for his immigrant family members and their partners, some of whom were not citizens, motivated him to act. He advocated to the City Council for Gresham to assume Sanctuary City status and challenged the intrusion of ICE into community life. When responses ranged from indifference to hostility, he took stock of the political landscape and determined that transforming the status quo

Gun violence continues to devastate our families and communities. When 20 first graders and six adults were murdered by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, the nation’s shock and horror were palpable. President Obama spoke passionately  about the urgency of passing background checks and stronger gun control laws. But pushback by the NRA and members of Congress prevailed. When parents of murdered children at Sandy Hook came together after the assault, their first instinct was to advocate for background checks. When that effort failed, they embraced a new strategy and focus. They formed Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization whose emphasis is on school safety, violence reduction and mental health. As Nicole Hockley, co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise who lost her son Dylan explains to Power Station, these efforts are resonating in school districts across America.There is training for young children on the power of kindness and inclusion of their classmates. And for those in middle

We all want to be heard and understood, a fair expectation. But being heard takes more than engaging an attentive listener. It requires purpose, knowing what we want to say and how to express ourselves. And we need to know how to adapt our communication style to a dizzying array of venues, from a private conversation to a conference room to social media. It can be humbling, frustrating and even costly when we fail to communicate well. Tia Blount brings her passion for communication to nonprofits where the mission is vital and the stakes for communicating well are high. A mission statement alone will not persuade women in Tanzania to participate in health trials whose benefits will accrue to the generation after their own. An affordable housing group in Washington, DC, cannot inspire the communities they serve by using real estate jargon. Tia's work addresses the gap between organizational intention and impact and that is what makes her a true change maker. It turns out that her childhood passion for writing w

Since 1991, Latino Economic Development Center, a DC based nonprofit, has worked side by side with Latino families to make their American Dreams possible. These families, both citizens and undocumented immigrants, have aspirations of safe and affordable rental housing, home ownership and the launching and expansion of small businesses. But they are under-resourced in the federal budget and underserved by banks that view them as too risky to lend to and invest in. This is why LEDC became a Community Development Financial Institution, a lender certified by the US Department of Treasury, to make the investments that others will not. As executive director Marla Bilonick explains, an ethos of service, expertise in asset building and commitment to progressive policy advocacy has enabled LEDC to thrive and expand in a very divisive political climate. LEDC has opened new offices in Baltimore, Wheaton, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia and recently, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. A local organization is now a national change make

America has a conflicted relationship to science. Historically, presidents and Congress have questioned and derided scientific research that is at odds with their beliefs, political and economic interests. At the same time, public confidence in science is growing and evidence of the impacts of climate change on rising sea levels, displacement and migration in coastal communities is now widely accepted. As Jacob Carter, biologist and research scientist from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy explains, the pushback on science has serious implications for decision-making on issues including climate, energy, transportation and food. If scientific evidence is rejected, how can sound policies be enacted? Jacob points out the unprecedented suppression of science by the Trump Administration, including research and reports issued by federal agencies ranging from the US Environmental Protection Agency to the US Fish and Wildlife Services. Scientists within the federal system are being d